Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion

EQAVET at VET system level

EQAVET at VET system level

Since 2009 the EQAVET Framework has guided Member States as they develop and improve the quality of their VET systems. Each Member State’s approach to system level quality assurance is different. 

The Framework has been used for national and regional quality assurance systems which cover initial and continuing VET. It has been used for VET in a wide range of learning environments (such as school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeship schemes) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended) which are delivered by public and private providers.  

Indicative descriptors at the system level 

The indicative descriptors assist Member States in analysing their quality assurance systems and determining how much progress has been made concerning quality. A methodology for this analysis has been agreed upon by the EQAVET Network, based on contrasting statements that describe the quality assurance system. This is based on considering which of two contrasting statements is the better way to describe the quality assurance system e.g., during the review stage of the quality assurance cycle, one indicative descriptor states that "Procedures, mechanisms, and instruments for undertaking reviews are defined at all levels." 

Would you describe your quality assurance system as one where: 

  • All stakeholders are clear and agree on how reviews will be undertaken. 

  • There is a lack of clarity about how reviews will be undertaken. 

Two contrasting statements can be created for each indicative descriptor. The EQAVET Network agreed that this approach could help to identify areas where system level changes and improvements are possible.  

Indicators at the system level 

The EQAVET Framework includes reference indicators which can support the development, evaluation and quality improvement of national/regional VET systems and/or VET providers. The same indicators can be used to measure the quality of provision at the system and provider level.  

In many contexts, there are agreements on the definitions of these indicators and how data is collected. This enables information from individual VET providers to be collated and analysed to provide system level data.  

The 2022 report from the EQAVET Secretariat highlighted how often each of the ten indicators are being used in initial and continuing VET. 

Further information  

Find out how Member States are implementing the EQAVET Framework indicative descriptors and the indicators at system level by exploring the case studies in the EQAVET virtual library. Read how Member States are implementing quality assurance at system level by accessing the country factsheets, available in the EQAVET virtual library. 

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